Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Book Signing

I was so nervous before it started that no one would show up and that my book was going to be a dud, but then at 6:30, people started pouring into Eichler's.

There were lots of people I knew, and many more that I didn't, and some just walked in when they saw the crowd in the store and others came because they heard me on the radio.

At the end of the night I signed 150 copies- a total record!! My hand was suffering from writer's cramp the whole weekend.

It was so great to meet some of my fans and other bloggers, and to see how many people were excited to get the book.

I got a call from my publicist- Gavriel Sanders, this Friday. He called to tell me that we needed to fix as many typos as possible in the next hour because the book was going into a second printing before Shavuous. In the first three days my book sold 3800 copies of the 5000 printed and they were rushing to get more on the shelves!

Thank you to whomever out there bought this book!!!! I feel so cool!

The book signing ended at ten- two hours after it was supposed to, and it left me on a high!

My students came too, and three of them bought me a helium balloon with a little teddy bear at the bottom- they said that they wanted to get me a HUGE white bear that cost $80 but after reading excerpts from my book all year, they sort of figured I wouldn't be too thrilled. (For those of you who read the book, you know what I mean!)

They are so cute!!

When I came to class on Thursday- 95% of my kids had Miracle Ride on their desks. I think it became a new textbook in my school.... I took a picture of them all reading it- I'll put it up here later.

So now that school is ending and I have summer open, people are starting to ask me to come speak for them. I'm speaking in a girl's school this Friday and then in New Jersey in a week. I'm getting stage fright already, but I'm so excited!!

I also enjoyed your book tremendously I stumbled across this blog awhile ago and have been keeping up w/it ever since, I really wanted to come to the book signing but alas I'm an out of towner *sigh* the things we miss.

Woah! 3800????!!!! I'm impressed! I could def say that I contributed to that number...Yeah, I did find some typos so if they still want some help with those corrections, give me a call, k?! It was unbelievable reading your book - the REAL pages!! I was sooo excited to read it and read it slooowwwllly, bit by bit! I was busy remembering every part of it and "going back in time" and figuring out whose names were switched and who the new names belonged to!!! THE BOOK IS 2 GOOD 4 WORDS!!!I loveed the acknowledgement at the end - what a brilliant idea!! (I also liked finding my name in the book LOL!)You did an unbelievable job!!!Now I'm gonna start reading my book for the 2nd time...I LOVE IT!

There was one question I wanted to ask you about your friend "Michal." How's she doing now? I noticed that you put her comment at the end of the book under "bas" her father's name. I just wanted to make sure she's okay.

Just to say, although I am not in the position to say this at all: You really see how Hashem has everyone's lives run exactly as they are supposed to. Sometimes it's not so pleasant, but it's all for the best, in the grand scheme. Just look at how many people you are inspiring! Would you have ever thought? Hashem is just amazing...

Don't feel bad if here and there more is exposed about cancer patients in the frum community. On balance, people worry too much about the information getting out. I work in the field professionally, and see too many families suffer because they worry about secrecy. And the EMES is that people need some help when going through tough times. Some have enough within the family, and others need a broader circle of friends. Your book's existence will help people in many different types of crisis.

Invisible Me

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To the Reader:

I can be contacted at twinklebrite@yahoo.comThis is a blog of the journal I kept when I was a 16 year old teen with cancer.

It sat in my drawer collecting dust for a long time until I decided that it was important to get my story out there.

Whether the reader is here for inspiration, support, a laugh, a good cry, curiosity, or by accident, I'm glad to be of service.

I learned from this challenge that Hashem put before me and do not regret going through it. I will never know His reasoning, but that's not my job.

My job is to put myself out there and be there for anyone who needs chizuk. My job is to show the world that cancer can be a part of someone's every day living without taking over their life. My job is to show that there is a life after cancer as well.

That was then. I am now.

So if you feel that reading my blog/book has made a difference to you, then my journal has already more than served its purpose.